


To Dream and to Keep

by orphan_account



Category: due South
Genre: Friendship, Post-Call of the Wild
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2012-08-26
Updated: 2012-08-26
Packaged: 2017-11-12 22:16:21
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 784
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/496226
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/orphan_account/pseuds/orphan_account
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Immediately after "Call of the Wild," Ray and Fraser muse about Canada, the United States, national identity and adventure.</p>
            </blockquote>





	To Dream and to Keep

“This guy, he does these studies, gets people to regress to their younger selves, to figure out what they really think about things,” Ray said.

“Hmm. How in the world does he do that?” Fraser watched as a log shifted and sparks flew out into the cold, starry, starry night.

“Oh, well, first he gives him a bunch of forms to fill out, you know, like they were doing any questionnaire. Then he does…I dunno, some kind of middle step. They have to do puzzles or watch a movie or something, answer questions about it? I don’t remember. But then he puts them in room with soft carpets and big pillows and no other furniture. He plays soothing music and gets them really relaxed and then asks them about their first memories of stuff.”

“Stuff? What is he trying to determine with these studies?”

“Mostly he wants to figure out how to sell soda or airlines or whatever shit some corporation is paying him a gazillion dollars to learn,” Ray said. "So he asks them for their first memories of things like 'quality' or 'adventure'." Fraser frowned. “Hey, I didn’t say it was _good _, what he’s doing, just interesting. In fact, he used to do this to help autistic kids, but I guess the Fortune 500's got more money or whatever.”__

“I see. What made you think of this now?” Fraser asked.

“See, he figured out what other countries think of Americans. US-type Americans,” Ray clarified. “Like, the French think we’re space travelers. _Star Trek _and Neil Armstrong and stuff. The Germans think we’re John Wayne, but, ya know, mostly helpful John Wayne, not always killing Native Americans for no damn reason John Wayne.”__

“And how do Canadians think of your fellow citizens?”

Ray frowned. “Don’t remember if he said. Maybe we’re, you know, loomers?”

“Weavers, you mean?”

Ray shook his head, laughing a little. “No, like we loom over you. Massed on your border, making irresistible movies and catchy pop songs and like that.”

“Ah.” Fraser thought about that. “I’m not sure I’d characterize Americans quite that way.”

“Well, I could just be making that up,” Ray said. “But it turns out that people from different countries also think about themselves in special ways.”

“Logical. Is there a consensus about what Americans believe about themselves?”

Ray gazed into the distance. “We think ‘America’ and we think ‘to dream,’ apparently.” He shook himself slightly. “Or so hundreds of interviewees thought. But I thought you’d get a kick out of what Canadians think of themselves.”

“I’m all ears,” Fraser said. He really was, although the whole exercise seemed like it was a bit of junk science.

“You guys think ‘Canada’ and you think ‘to keep’,” Ray said.

“Hmm.” Fraser didn’t say anything for awhile. “You know, the RCMP’s motto is ‘maintainer le droit,’ which could be variously translated as ‘maintaining the right’ or 'the law' or ‘defending the right’,” Fraser told Ray.

“Yeah,” Ray said, sipping his coffee-with-a-kick, courtesy of Frobisher.

“And it could also be rendered as ‘keeping the right’,” Fraser added.

Ray grinned. “So maybe there is something to it. I set ‘em up, you knock ‘em down. I dream, you keep.”

Fraser looked at Ray. “Is there a particular reason you brought this up at this juncture?”

Ray looked away. “It’s…what we were talking about before Delbert from grade three rescued us,” he said.

“Delmar from grade four,” Fraser said automatically. 

“Yeah, Delmar from grade four,” Ray said, not protesting at the correction. “I told you how I always wanted to do something big, you know, fulfill a dream. And you talked about, sang about, the hand of Franklin, reaching for the Beaufort Sea.”

“The Franklin expedition is something that looms large on the Canadian consciousness,” Fraser said.

Ray nodded enthusiastically. “Right. So why don’t we do it?”

“Do what?” Fraser asked hopefully.

“Have an adventure. Look for Franklin. And, you know, ourselves, like an odyssey or something.”

“I think that’s a wonderful idea,” Fraser said. “I’m sure we can figure out a way to accomplish that. At least, we could organize our own expedition. A quest. Actually finding the hand of Franklin…well, I’m not sure how the Canadian consciousness would react to such a development.”

Ray looked at Fraser searchingly, then extended his hand. “So let’s shake on it. I’ll dream of finding Franklin, and you keep us safe.”

Fraser shook Ray’s hand, which was warm from his coffee mug. “Only as long as I can also dream of finding the hand of Franklin, reaching for the Beaufort Sea. And you promise to keep by my side.”

Ray gave Fraser’s hand a squeeze. “Done deal, partner,” he said.

**Author's Note:**

> The research Ray vaguely remembers hearing about is Cloitaire Rapaille's work on cultural codes and their implications for, and applications to, marketing. Rapaille had shared some of his methods and conclusions by 1999, but the specific findings referenced in this story are to be found in _The Culture Code: Why People Around the World Really Are Different and the Hidden Clues to Understanding Us All _which was published in 2006. Perhaps a copy fell through a convenient wormhole and landed in Ray's lap one day when he was really starved for entertainment. Rapaille and his work are not completely free of controversy (particularly in Canada, these days).__
> 
> And, of course, may Neil Armstrong long be remembered, along with the thousands of men and women who helped him reach the historic moment that helps define not just Americans, but all humans as "space travelers."


End file.
